Customer Reviews

Manfrotto 585LNC Modosteady Remote Control

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Manfroto made this specifically for the motosteady, however I purchased it becaue of price and the brand name, plus I needed a lanc controller to test a product with.

Removing one screw allows it to open up and clamp around the bicycle style handle on the motosteady, then close and stay put, giving you full control over your camera at the grip point. I may make adapters to put this on other products down the road, but it is an innovative and well made design.

The lanc conector is a 2.5 mm standard, and the included coiled cable puts quite a bit of pull on the jack that is built into the unit. Although I often hate purmanently attached cables, this is marginal. I'm not docking it for that purpose though.

The reason I subtracted a "star" is that of all the lanc functions, only a few (zoom in/out pause, record) are supported, yet so many more could be put on the back side of the unit out of the way for playback. Lanc has an extensive command set, but despite the great quality here, very little of the command set is supported.. It does work as a remote start/stop zoom and thats all

Don't you wish the product description told you how it works or operates not just what it is capable of doing? Most of the time you have to look at the picture in zoom to figure it out. Well, here is how this one operates. I fits around the shaft of the tripod handle which is nice and easy to access with your thumb provided it fits tight and does not move easily. It has only one toggle type button. Toggle it one way zoom in, toggle the other zoom out. It is slightly able to accomplish two speeds if done sensitively but the fastest it will zoom is about half speed on my camera. This same button when pushed in controls the record on and off button as well. Nice feature but you will need to be very gentle because you could inadvertently push it in when trying to zoom and stop your recording. The little toggle head/wheel is small, 1/8" square and works best using the thumb. It does the job and you can train yourself to find the wheel and move it in the right direction without pushing it in by mistake but this product design could be improved. For the price it sure beats pushing on the camera button or trying to use an infared remote that detects from the front of the camera.

UPDATE: Hands-on results...

I've been using the remote w/ the Canon HF-S100 via the Canon Remote Control Adapter RA-V1. (Yes, I know the adapter is not "officially" compatible with the camera, but it needs a remote and I've found a workaround for the "audio-buzz" that it causes... use a noise filter or ground loop cable!)

This little remote really WORKS! It works great w/ the HF-S100 variable zoom. It is small and compact so you have to be a little more precise with your movement on the toggle switch, but overall it works great! (With a little practice, I've become very comfortable with it.) It definetly makes zooming while doing a pan/tilt on a tripod much easier.

I rigged a mount for it to attach it to the tripod handle... rather than spending hundreds more on a dedicated remote, I spend a couple of bucks on a clamp and screws to get the same results!

Overall, I do recommend the remote as cheaper alternative for a LANC control for your camera. I was pleasantly surprised!


ORIGINAL review:

Although I have only mounted the remote to the ModoSteady, I can comment on the "feel" of the device... (Once I get the new LANC adaptor for my Canon HF-S100 I'll update this review with my hands-on results...)

As for the "feel" of the remote... well, let's just say that I'll be gentle with it. The body is all plastic. From the product pictures you can't really tell how the thing mounts to the ModoSteady handle. That's because the remote is hollow! Looking at the underside you'll see that it is "cut-out" to recieve the top section of the handle - sort of like how a hat would fit on your head. With that, the actual fit is really good, snug, and solid for a plastic "hat"...

Now for the most important piece, the toggle switch. The "feel" of this dial/toggle is... weird! (See UPDATE above. I'm used to this "feel" now, no problems!) The toggle for zooming behaves as expected, toggle/rotate the dial switch to W or T - but be careful not to "push" the dial/toggle in! Pushing the dial/toggle in is supposed to activate the record start & stop. So, since the zoom action and rec stop & start action are all combined into the same dial/toggle switch, you need to practice transitioning from W to T without engaging the stop & start. (Since I don't have the LANC adaptor yet, I don't know how sensitive this will be. Nor can I tell whether or not the variable speed of the zoom is possible via the remote. Stay tuned for those results...)

At this writing, the remote is a good complement to the ModoSteady. If it operates better than it "feels", then I think we'll have a winning combination. Check back soon for the results...

I have a canon XA10, which this worked fine with.
It can not really be connected to any tripod, basically it is designed to only fit the Manfrotto 585 ModoSteady. It has a 1 dial control, push in to start/stop record, and roll left/right to zoom in and out. This control is a bit fiddle-ly compared to other LINC controls i have used, mostly because of size - the whole overall length is no more than about 50mm diameter.

Length:: 0:10 Mins

Yes, I know this device is designed to work Manfroto gear, but you do what you have to do.
I use a shoulder mount rig for a Sony HRV-Z5U. With both hands occupied with steadying the rig, it's difficult to stop/start recording and operating the zoom controls. I mounted this LINC near where my right thumb rests and all is well. It clamped right onto the top of the bakelite thumbscrew that tightens the pistolgrip. It is a perfect fit. My only concern is durability. It doesn't look and feel all that heavy duty. I may be totally wrong, but that's my first impression.

As advertised, this is designed for the Manfrotto head. I threw the box away before I tried to mount this on my tripod or I would have returned it.
The controller does work as advertised, so a fair review is for 5 starts. My mistake in buying it.